Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah- Bonsu, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Leader of Government Business, has said the construction of the National Cathedral is introducing some critical innovations to the country’s architectural landscape.

He said more than 200 trees on the site of the Cathedral, some nearly 100 years, had been relocated to a temporary site by Department of Parks and Gardens to be returned upon completion of the project.

Others would be replanted elsewhere making the edifice environmentally sustainable.

The Parliamentary Affairs Minister, delivering the 2021 Budget Statement to Parliament, on Friday, said the Cathedral, which would provide an interdenominational sacred space for the nation, remained a national priority, and despite the delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, work was on course towards completing the iconic edifice in the heart of the nation’s capital.

He said under the social partnership model to broaden the dialogue for development, government regularly engaged Faith-Based Organisations (FBOs) on various national issues, and they remained a key partner in revitalising the economy under the GHC 100 billion Ghana CARES programme.

The Minister said in 2020 the FBOs were instrumental in the fight against COVID-19 in various ways – supporting national readiness; complementing health-service delivery through the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG); managing the distribution of Government's dry food packages to vulnerable households during the lockdown period; providing counseling services; providing skills and entrepreneurial training for the youth and augmenting public sensitisation and awareness campaigns.

Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said the FBOs would continue to fulfil their vital roles within the Ghanaian society and that the Government affirmed its support to the formal collaboration as a permanent component of the nation's governance system.